Mark 6:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

According to the law, it would have been permissible to marry his brother’s widow only if Philip had passed away without leaving behind any children; since Philip's daughter, born of Herodias, was still living, Herod’s actions were unlawful. Reports indicate that Herod took Philip's wife while Philip was still alive, committing acts of great wickedness as an adulterer and a man engaging in incestuous behavior.

He possessed the courage to publicly proclaim the very truths he preached to the people, even before the king and his household. As freely as he spoke in the wilderness, he began admonishing Herod for unlawfully taking his brother Herod Philip's wife and cohabiting with her. He fervently condemned other immoral behaviors rampant in Herod's court as well. Although Herod might not have reacted with overt irritation to these rebukes—indeed, he showed a certain respect for John's message (Mark 6:20)—Herodias, driven by ambition and incensed by John's accusations, exerted her influence over Herod to ensure John's death. Ultimately, her efforts led to John being imprisoned in the fortress of Maheru. Herod, at first, did not intend to take further action against him, in part because the people of Galilee regarded John as a prophet and favored him to such an extent that Herod feared reprisal for treating him harshly (Matthew 14:5). Additionally, he himself harbored a fear that persecuting such a righteous man would invite divine retribution (Mark 6:20). These concerns left Herod ambivalent toward John, and he might have eventually released him altogether had Herodias not taken advantage of one of Herod's missteps to secure John's execution. Herod, while in prison, allowed John to maintain contact with his disciples.

Mark does not suggest that Herod's reluctance stemmed from his respect for John as a virtuous man; rather, it was a fear of divine retribution that held him back. He found it difficult to forsake his regard for John just to accede to the criminal desires of his wife, and thus, while spurred by her insistence, he may have contemplated the murder of John on several occasions, only to be deterred each time by the fear of the people's reaction and the sanctity of John himself.

Upon learning of her husband's infidelity with Herodias, Herod Antipas's legitimate wife, the daughter of King Aretas of Arabia, fled to her father. Angered by this betrayal, Aretas waged war against Herod. In response, Antipas relocated his court from Tiberias to the fortress of Mahera, where he resided in his palace.

This distinguished individual, who deserved reverence as the epitome of human virtue, met a most dreadful and disgraceful end—executed by the hand of a soldier following the whims of a morally insignificant ruler, a victim of the malicious deceit of a woman convicted of her own iniquities.

The Evangelists recount this narrative succinctly (Mt 14:1-12, Mk 6:14-29, Lk 9:7-9), yet historical inquiry allows for a detailed exploration of it, with each facet offering profound lessons on how folly and lust can lead not only to the breach of laws but also to the perpetration of dreadful acts. The descendants of Herod the Great, inheriting their father’s treacherous and indulgent nature, engaged in constant rivalry and numerous plots amongst themselves. The many relatives within this circle of Herods and Herodias were embroiled in endless intrigues and conflicts, some resorting to the basest tactics of deceit and slander in Rome to undermine one another. Herod Antipas, the principal figure in this account, was doubtless not the worst morally among them. He frequently quarreled and schemed against his brothers, seeking favor from the Romans to expand his territories, organizing lavish feasts funded by the wealth of the regions, and reveling in the praise of Roman poets for his extravagant banquets.

He identified as a Sadducee, believing solely in material wealth and valuing only personal pleasure, constructing his happiness upon the suffering of both his people and kinsfolk. His life was already saturated with wrongdoing; yet his depraved nature craved ever more disgraceful delights, ultimately leading to a horrific connection that sparked a grave atrocity. In 27 or 28 A.D., he journeyed to Jerusalem, prompted by a need to address a controversial issue raised by Pilate concerning the placement of honorific shields for Tiberius, an issue agitating the religious sentiments of the populace. All the Herods gathered in Jerusalem for this purpose, including Herod Antipas. There, he was warmly welcomed by his half-brother Philip, who was wed to Herodias, an ambitious and resolute woman. The charismatic Herod Antipas, accustomed to the glamour of Roman aristocracy, undoubtedly dazzled Herodias, who, at 35, felt herself far from aged for romantic pursuits. Although she had a grown daughter, the situation grew particularly repugnant; nonetheless, intoxicated by desire, they both acted shamefully towards Philip, her husband.

Having established an illicit affair, Antipas promptly made his way to Rome to secure further privileges from the emperor. Their arrangement included public acknowledgment of their relationship, requiring both Herodias to divorce her 50-year-old husband and Herod Antipas to separate from his beautiful wife, the daughter of the powerful Arabian ruler Arete. Antipas anticipated considerable opposition and the looming threat of conflict with the father of the slighted daughter. Yet, to his relief, the matter turned straightforward: the Arab princess learned of her husband's sinful liaison and decided to leave him, following which Arete promptly took measures to return her to his home. Assisted by Arab leaders, she made her way back to her palace in Petra, and her father formally dissolved the marriage. Although peace was maintained at that moment, the shameful union occurred in the very region where John was ministering, leaving a notable impact on the locales closest to the Arabian principality. Concern washed over the people as they recognized the peril of offending a formidable neighbor, compounded by the legal ramifications surrounding the marriage to one’s brother’s wife. Even within the Herodian family, this scandalous union, rife with dual adultery, bred discord that eventually fractured relationships.

This reckless act marked one of Antipas's most audacious moves during his reign, as he typically sought to avoid igniting religious discontent among the people, knowing it could expose his territory to retaliatory action from the incensed Arete, who would inevitably seek retribution for the insult against his daughter. Though the lawlessness that threatened the outbreak of war deeply affected the populace, the Roman yoke, coupled with ineffective rulers lacking moral authority, kept them subdued, leading to whispered fears and ominous rumors circulating quietly among them. In this silence, John, the great prophet, became the voice of the people. Preaching not far from Tiberias, he appeared suddenly in his camel’s hair cloak before Herod’s palace, thundering a divine proclamation: ‘Thou shalt not have thy brother's wife!’.

Antipas, previously acquainted with John as the renowned prophet of the wilderness, was gripped by a guilty conscience. However, he was feeble-willed, and when the shameless Herodias, a New Testament-like Jezebel, intervened, the fate of the prophet was sealed. Citing the need to safeguard public order, threatened by such an audacious and provocative preacher who gathered crowds and stirred rebellious thoughts, Herod resolved to eliminate the prophet. During this time, he resided either in Tiberias or in Maher, a castle on the southern border of his dominions in Perea. Uniting with the priestly class and the scribes of Jerusalem—ineffective in their own right—they identified a convenient tool for silencing the unlawful teacher they so resented, who wielded significant influence over the people. It is conceivable that Pilate, wary of popular upheaval, incited by their insistent arguments, prompted decisive action to avert potential unrest. Under their influence and his private fears, tragic developments unfolded.

Dispatching soldiers and police to the banks of the Jordan, where John was preaching, Herod ordered his arrest. The soldiers executed their orders, likely capturing him under the cover of night, binding the defenseless prophet, and escorting him to the castle of Maher. This stronghold, known as ‘diadem’ for its crown-like pillar on a high rock, and also referred to as the ‘black tower’, sat on the eastern edge of the Dead Sea and about ten versts from it, aligning closely with Bethlehem. It represented the southern bastion of Perea, similar to the north held by the Macedonian colony of Pella. Nature had crafted an impregnable fortress there, perched high over a deep gorge that divided the Avarim mountains from the Fazgi range, in a wasteland where, according to ancient legend, Jews sought the tomb of Moses. A few versts north lay Colliroya, famed for its warm springs, where the ailing Herod sought healing and almost breathed his last.

Here, hot springs poured forth from the mountains’ depths, juxtaposed against icy cold waters, while the region was dotted with sulfur and aluminum mines, revealing its harsh beauty. The Zerkah-Main river rushed swiftly down the gorge, making its way from Perea's heights to the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. To the south sprawled a valley through which an ancient Roman road ran, connecting Maher with Colliroya and the major route between Petra and Damascus. Rising from this valley, the long Attarof range extended massively for 15 versts to the southwest; at its highest point, where it dropped abruptly towards Zerke Main, the ruins of Maher survive, composed of vast rectangular stone blocks. The remnants of a temple to the sun also remain, evidence of the diverse religious practices among the people—including pagans like Greeks and Romans—who were given free rein to indulge in their idolatry.

A fortress was first erected here by Alexander Jannaeus between 106-79 BC, only to be dismantled by Gabinius in 56 BC during his conflict with Aristobulus. When Herod ascended to the throne, his discernment led him to recognize the strategic advantages of this location; thus, he reconstructed the castle as a defensive stronghold against Arab incursions. Enclosing a large area with fortified walls and towers, he established a town connected to the castle on the mountain’s peak. The castle itself occupied one end of a narrow ridge extending more than a verst from east to west, serving as a last refuge in case of a siege. Yet, this was insufficient for his ambitious plans. At the ridge’s opposite end, to fortify the mountaintop, he built a colossal wall complete with high towers at every corner, within which he erected a magnificent palace graced with rows of columns, colorful marble halls, opulent baths, and all the luxuries of Roman life, adeptly outfitted with large cisterns, barracks, and storehouses essential for enduring a siege.

This castle became the site of John’s imprisonment, particularly within its dismal dungeons carved from solid rock. Meanwhile, the fortified palace at the other mountaintop reverberated with the indulgent revelries of Antipas and his courtly companions, while the great prophet languished in dreary solitude in the dank and dark cell on the ridge’s far side. From the palace windows, Herod Antipas enjoyed magnificent vistas of the Dead Sea, the entire span of the Jordan, Jerusalem, ancient Hebron filled with patriarchal lore, the fords of the Jordan, and the cliffs of Engedi to the west, while to the north loomed the Gilead mountains behind the towering Pisgah heights. Yet, the imprisoned voice of the wilderness, the free prophet, endured agonizing isolation. The area surrounding him was desolate, dotted sparingly with palm, olive, and vine trees thriving in the hollows, while popular myths spoke of a rare crimson plant renowned for its supposed ability to expel demons and heal ailments, obtainable only at the cost of one’s own life.

The German traveler Zeedzen, who uncovered this site in 1807, eloquently described the landscape. John languished in this wilderness, severed from the world, his people, and the critical national renewal of which he was the essence—suffering among a populace estranged from him. Approximately ten thousand residents populated the city itself, as inferred from Jud. 7:6, with around two thousand men recorded, leading to an estimate of ten thousand inhabitants when including women and children. Yet around John were only the rough soldiers from neighboring tribes and Herod's officials, who, as described by Christ, adorned themselves lavishly and indulged in extravagance typical of royal courts (Luke 7:25). Nevertheless, despite being imprisoned, the unwavering faith of the people turned their hope toward the great prophet, as the breath of God continued to stir their hearts.

It is clear that she goaded Herod into taking action against John, and while he occasionally yielded to her schemes, he also grappled with his own reluctance to execute John, possibly due to personal convictions. He feared the repercussions from the populace, as indicated in Matthew 14:5, and also held a reverential fear of John, acknowledging his righteousness. This internal struggle—where Herod's respect for virtuous integrity clashed with the malicious ambitions of Herodias—kept him in a state of uncertainty. Although he sought to protect John from Herodias’ insidious plans, which were intent on seizing John's life at any moment, he nevertheless imprisoned John rather than condemning him to death, remaining hesitant to carry out such a final act.